This weekend, my column will be very much in keeping with its name “ on the road with McDang”. During the religious holiday of Makah Bucha last month I took the opportunity to get away from Bangkok and returned once again to Luang Prabang in Laos. Since Bangkok Airways has been flying direct flights to Luang Prabang, I have been going there countless times in the past three years. There is something that draws me there. It’s probably the longing for the slower and simpler way of life that Thailand use to have. I also have Laos blood on my mother side, not from Luang Prabang but Vientiane.

             The Malakoul family, my mother’s maiden name are descendents of King Rama II of Thailand and a Laotian Princess. Each time I go to Luang Prabang I always think of my early years in Bangkok 50 years ago. It was a much simpler time, when everyone knews everyone else. Bangkokians were much kinder then. We were less materialistic. We were not slaves to money. Well, I am happy to report that those feeling of longing for the olden days in Thailand are alive and well in Luang Prabang. Despite the increase in tourism and its ever-growing popularity, people in Luang Prabang are still the same gentle and kind people.

             Thanks to UNESCO for making this town a world heritage sight. Changes come about slowly and everything is well controlled by this international body. I still love the fact that there are no ATM machines in Luang Prabang. On this last trip there I went to the temple to take part in this religious ceremony called Makah Bucha. This religious ceremony celebrates the day that the Lord Buddha preached his first sermon to his followers who with out prior appointment gathered together to come see the Lord Buddha. There were prayers and sermons at the temple in the evening, which ended with a candle light procession three times around the temple. Everyone’s faces were lit by the candlelight, there seems to be a glow on their faces. All the people there were dressed in traditional Lao dresses. After the evening ceremony, I went to a new happening in Luang Prabang. It is the evening market. A Laos version of the night Bazaar.

             They closed off a section of the main road in town from the museum to the water fountain intersection. All kinds of wears were on sale there, as well as food stalls on the footpath with seating for tourists around the stalls. Local Laos’s food, barbecues and some Vietnamese spring rolls were all on sale and ready to be consumed by the many foreign visitors. It was noisy, busy, smokey but lots of fun. I was surprised to see many Westerners eating at these open stalls, looking very comfortable, as if they were natives of Luang Prabang. The sight, sound and aromas of this market place made me want to join in and sample the food right there but I had already booked a table at L’Elephant so off I went to eat French food there. I was first attracted to the décor of the restaurant. I ate there many times because of the food. Most items on the menu were remarkably good and good value for money.

             The owner of the restaurant is half French and half Laos. His father owned the building and his son came back to open two restaurants when Luang Prabang opened up for tourism. This is an oasis of culture. A place where two cultures meets. It takes you back to the colonial times when the French were in Laos. At the same time it has it’s own identity and charm of the Laotian people. It is sophisticated without being pretentious. The food, let’s just mention a few. I particularly like the water-buffalo steak or the stuffed quail. The baked Brie was great but two persons could eat it. The desserts are very French. Try the Crème caramel, it’s really good! The wine list is quite good for Luang Prabang and the prices are reasonable, all in dollars.

             After a great meal and a good night sleep, I went to the waterfall which most tourist don’t go to. We hired a tok tok to the river outside town and took the boat to the waterfall. This is not the season to go to Tad Xae fall but there is still some water left to go swim and have fun. Tad Xae is a series of terraces in the woods with very large trees and pools around the whole area. Water runs pass these terrace pools and during the high water season, water flows over the whole area making the whole place appear like a large over flowing pool with massive trees growing out of it. The water is very clear and refreshingly cold. Locals prefer this fall during the weekend they would come for picnics here with their families. I don’t know about you but I would like to return to Luang Prabang again and again. There are so many choices of places to stay from the Grand, Pansea and Villa Santi to smaller more intimate guesthouses. Food in Luang Prabang is good and fairly inexpensive. Local cuisine such as Papaya Salad, Tum Buck Houng, is good everywhere and cheap but if you don’t want MSG or are allergic to it as I am, just tell them not to put Pang Nuoa, (Lao word for MSG), in your food and they will not do so. MSG is so popular with all cooks in Laos, Vietnam, Burma, I guess the whole of S.E. Asia that you need to be aware of it so that you can instruct the restaurants you go eat at not to put it in. Some cooks told me that they don’t know what the food will taste like if they don’t add MSG to their food. All you have to do is to reassure them that its just as delicious is to say in Lao “Sab Lai” which means delicious.

             I had mentioned at the end of my last column that I would write about nam prik. I have to beg your forgiveness for changing the subject matter this week. I need to rush a review for meat lovers everywhere because I have just discovered a new steak house that has recently opened. The name of this steak house is Park Avenue and it is situated in the Mercury Tower building opposite Central Chidlom. I happened upon it when I went to have a very private lunch with an old girlfriend of mine at Auberge Dab. The food at Auberge is still very good and definitely very French. They told me at Dab that they have a sister restaurant in the same building in the lobby area. I remembered seeing it when I came to a party for Ocean Glass company.

             They must have known that I love beef especially good beef. I have written countless times of the enjoyment I get from eating tender perfectly cooked steak! Needless to say I went to try the steak there two days later. It was wonderful but to make sure that this was not just a luck strike I invited my father and other friends who are connoisseurs of beef to have dinner with me again. This time I could try everything on the menu because I make it a rule that everyone has to order different dishes.

             The restaurant is decorated with wooden wall paneling. It is not too grand but very masculine. No bright colored walls of any sort are found in the dining room, which is a long rectangular room with raised floor on one side. There are two private rooms partition off with stain glass doors. A small and very masculine bar with a baby grand piano sits at one end of the room near the entrance. All the tables are laid with crisp white linen. All right, I have talked enough about the ambiance. Now it’s time to go into the food and how it tasted.

             A four-page menu was presented to each of our guests. It was divided into, first courses, salads, and soups. Then came a full-page description of their beef and steak selections followed by some seafood and a short light fare menu. I did not look past the steaks. The first time I came here I ordered Prime Rib which I wanted medium rare and being the greedy person that I am I ordered the largest cut they have (Texas cut). Before launching off on the wonderful and succulent flavors of the prime rib I should mention some other delicious dishes which we ordered to tease our appetite. There are the crab cakes, which is done with lots of crabmeat and breadcrumbs. This dish had no potatoes in the cakes but it is topped with melted cheese after frying. A small side of fresh and crispy salad accompanies the crab cakes. Salmon tartar came in a smoke salmon flower served with toast triangle. This dish was very delicate and my father ordered it. I had the steamed mussels in white wine sauce, which was good, but not as good as the crab cakes. My friend had oyster Rockefeller that is always good as a standard classical dish. It also depends on the sauce that they made to cover the oyster. It was good rich hollandaise that was just tart enough not to make the already rich oyster too greasy. Simple but fresh salad of rocket with a hot-bacon dressing or your usual Caesar salad helps you cleanse your palate before the main course arrived.

             Not a single one of use ordered fish or seafood. We all had different cuts of beef. My father order prime rib medium rare but he did not order the biggest cut. He only had a large eight once cut. It came out red and pink looked good enough to slice thin and place between two pieces of bread and have one hell of an expensive sandwich! But my father was a lot more civilized than I am. He savored every bite of his steak. As he cuts into it he heaped a small amount of French mustard in it and dips it in the gravy before putting it into his mouth. My eyes followed his every move as he ate. I swallowed a few times while watching him eat. You see, I know how good the steak here is.

             It was tender, succulent and best of all the beef is fresh chilled beef non of this frozen stuff. While father enjoyed his prime rib, others had their steak served. There was rib eye steak with maitre d’hotel butter. It was perfectly cooked with that distinct smokey flavor a charcoal grill. I had grilled sirloin strip. Well, you guessed it; I had the largest cut you could get which was 16 ounces. It was medium rare, sweet with the blood of the beef and so soft that I hardly had to chew. It almost melted in my mouth. There are other cuts of fresh chilled beef here but I guess my favorite would have to be the sirloin strip. There are wonderful desserts to be had here to. Crepe suzette done tableside but who would have room for dessert after a very large piece of steak! I forgot to mention the wine. Although not a very extensive wine list but the have a fairly good selection old and New World wines to choose from. All in all, this restaurant is worth your visit if you are a meat lover. I have not had beef this good since my trips to United States, Australia and New Zealand. Now I don’t have to go abroad to eat good beef! And the price is comparable to that is pay abroad as well.